


wouldn't it be sweet?

by jayhood



Series: HIC time travel fix-it [3]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Heroes in Crisis (DCU Comics), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics)
Genre: Clones, Fix-It, Generation Outlaws, M/M, Other Heroes In Crisis characters mentioned, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-07
Updated: 2020-06-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:27:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24595990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jayhood/pseuds/jayhood
Summary: "Come with me if you want to live," says a girl in a strangely familiar leather jacket.Roy follows.
Relationships: Jason Todd & Generation Outlaws, Roy Harper/Jason Todd
Series: HIC time travel fix-it [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1671670
Comments: 12
Kudos: 81





	wouldn't it be sweet?

**Author's Note:**

> Anons prompted me on Tumblr:  
> "...anything with Jason being a dad/mom/parent who adopted whether it be single parent-Parenting with LoverFriendOther- CoParenting with group of friends."  
> and  
> "...Jay/Roy. Roy is polyamorous (intrested(Sexually attracted/Romanticly intrested) and Jason is ok with that (perhaps Jason is Ace or Demisexaul or just doesn't like sex/have as much of a sex Impulse as Roy)."  
> I decided to mix the two somewhat.

"Come with me if you want to live," says the girl hovering outside his window.

Roy's bedroom is on the second floor. The girl just - there, no ladder or rocket pack on her back. She's rocking a strangely familiar leather jacket and bright blue hair. He is sure he never saw her before. And, there's also a fact that Trinity swore the Sanctuary was impenetrable. It doesn't exactly fill him with confidence. 

The girl notices him reaching out to his bow and rolls her eyes.

"For fuck sake, I  _ told  _ him there has to be a better code phrase," she says, before throwing her hands forward and yanking on the empty air.

The gush of wind propels Roy forward, and he falls out of the window right at the girl. She oofs and loses altitude pretty quickly, trying to keep a hold on his midriff with one hand and thrust the other one behind. They don't fall to the ground but it's a near thing. There's maybe a half a foot between them and the graveled backyard that Roy's windows look out to. He tries to fight her of, careful not to inflict serious injuries. She looks like fifteen at most, and it's not saying much because Roy knows what teenagers are capable of, he was one, he fought with and against other teens as well, but he still can't bring himself to go for her eyes or neck.

"Can you stop struggling it?" she whisper-screams. "Your boyfriend sent me, okay?"

That stops Roy from jamming his elbow in her stomach. Dick? Wally? Unlikely, but: Garth?

He is listing the options out loud, apparently, because the girl looks absolutely gleeful:

"I'm telling Red Hood you said that."

Oh, Jason has some explaining to do.

When they last saw each other, two weeks ago, Jason looked better but not really in a shape to get himself into the kind of trouble that needed to break Roy out of superhero retreat facility, especially not by a teenage girl with meta powers, when just going through the front door would do. Sanctuary is a completely voluntary option, the one Jason himself would be able to benefit from - if it wasn't, Roy has to admit, absolutely useless. All he was doing those weeks, is talk to a camera, like he's on a reality show, eat, and sleep. He never even saw anyone else. They all were placed separately for some reason. Like being completely alone wasn't a root of half the problems among their folk. 

Unless, he thinks, the Sanctuary is compromised, and solitary wasn't on their behalf at all.

Still, he didn't live to twenty-eight because he trusted easily.

"If I'm in danger and the Sanctuary is compromised," Roy says, "then why Hood didn't come himself? Why send some kid?"

The girl uses his willingness to ask question first and hit later, if the answers aren't satisfying, to pull them in a vertical position and fly over the fence. She waves at the wierd-looking crow (it looks like it met a windshield at the top of its speed but somehow, it hobbles on the wall separating the Sanctuary from the outside world) while answering him.

" _ I _ am not a kid. I am the goddess of the motherfucking skies.  _ And, _ I'm the oldest. Well, Doomed technically is the oldest, and nobody's sure how old DNA is, but they  _ act _ as children."

"And who all of you are? Teen Titans? I know your pal Doomed was with that team for a while."

"Doomed is not my pal," she spats. "He's my competition."

They land a mile away from the Sanctuary. Three... people are waiting for them in the clearing. Well, for Roy, really, because the girl immediately takes off toward Sanctuary again. One of them is a tall, muscular redhead who looks like she could snap Roy in half. It's more reassuring than intimidating. Jason has a certain type of friends alright.

The second one is a honest to god child. Small, eight maybe? With the head full of angelic blond curls. His eyes are glowing though, and he looks like he's seeing things that aren't there there but somewhere else instead.

"One package had been delivered, nine to go." he says. "Team B, you're authroazid to make the fisrt switch."

Roy has the urge to wave a hand before the kid, just to check if he's going to react, but the third person steps into his path.

It's a kid who got into an accident at STAR Labs. Roy heard a little about him, a shapeshifter of some sort. The name escapes Roy for a moment, and it doesn't seem like Roy will get to ask: he is all growly and green and spikey. Seems friendly enough, though: he throws an orange blanket around Roy's shoulders, and pours him a cup of camomile tea from the termos.

Roy takes it just to do something with his hands. Nobody's really saying anything except for the blond kid muttering commands under his breath, but it's obvious those are not for the present.

"So," he addresses the redhead. "Artemis, right?

Jason didn't talk about his new crew much, the wound still fresh. But it's easy to recognize her. The clone of Superman is not here, and Roy doesn't ask. Hopefully, he's wherether Jason is, and not stuck in whatever dimension they were thrown into.

"Roy Harper," she nods at him. "The most dangerous person on Earth. Take care not to die."

That's not omnious at all.

Within the next half an hour, more people arrive. One by one, there's nine heroes Roy knows or heard about, dropped by the Cloud Nine. She looks less and less pleased about playing the chauffer, especially since most of them are trying to fight her until they're put on the ground, and some of them even after.

Doomed is there for them with his tea and shock blanket. Artemis greets them by the name, ask to keep calm and not to interrupt "the Vessel", meaning the blond kid. People who know each other - most of them former Teen Titans, like Roy, Eddie Bloomberg, Isaiah Crockett, Jason Hart - huddle together. Others prefer to sit by themselves, as they were promised that after the rest of the rescue team shows up, they all would move to the secondary location and get to hear the full story.

Not everyone is alright with it. Commander Steel squares off against the amazon and stabs his steel finger at her chest, demanding the information now. She calmly takes his hand off her and breaks the offending finger, steel and all. Everyone is on their feet the same second, and dammit, Jason, where are you?

He's right here. First, several people appear with a soft poop: a boy with pink hair and... a metal jaw? And then there's a honest to god zombie who's crading a very cranky baby who swears as a sailor. Roy is pretty sure babies that small aren't supposed to talk coherently at all, much less know so many swears.

Then the Cloud Nine lands on the grass with a soft swoosh. She's snaps her fingers at Doomed, demanding a drink,  _ right now, chop-chop, you're useless lab experiment reject _ . 

A violet... entity with pterodactyl-like wings lands before her, and they bicker: that's not nice thing to say,  _ Clara _ , wait till I tell  _ Mom _ . 

It's when Jason appears above them, carried by Bizarro, all of them become quiet, and then start to talk over each other.

Jason is barely recognizable in his new suit. Which looks stupid but also shows off his arms so Roy doesn't really mind. 

Most importantly he makes a gesture with his hand, and all the kids fall quiet.

"No bickering during the mission," he says. "Save it to the headquarters."

Kids visibly sulk but listen to him. Who knew that Jason is a kid-whisperer? 

Jason addresses all of the people who were smuggled by him from the Sanctuary, explaining that they're going to have a short international flight during which they will have time to answer all of their questions.

"Let's be real," he says. "I know you have no reason to trust me, especially not since Batman isn't vouching for me anymore. But trust this: I could have killed all of you at any point in the last hour. So, three hours in the air, and you're free to go. Sounds good?"

Surprisingly, Red Devil is the first one to react. Not only he doesn't argue: he steps forward and hugs Jason. Jason, after a second where he's just standing there freezed, hugs him back.

Roy does not feel jealous at all. So what, that Jason didn't even meet his eyes yet? His new team obviously knows who he is, with Artemis greeting him by name and vague-threatining him (if that's what happened, Roy is still not sure), and Bizarro clapping him on the shoulder just now. 

Anyway, after the hug, people apparently are more inclined to go along with Red Hood's plan. 

The method of transportation is, Roy can't believe it, USS STARFIRE.

When he left the island few weeks before, it was overgrown with vines, and certainly not operatable. He's also has a spike of anxiety about his cabin but when he runs aboard, he finds the door locked as it was, even his note still there.

After checking the inside of it - and there seems to be everything how he left it, if only much more dust then should be, after so little time - he wanders into the main room. Everyone is buckled up already, so Roy throws himself into the only free chair - not anywhere close to Jason, what, he couldn't have saved a seat for his oldest friend? Though, maybe this honor goes to Eddie, now - apparently they were pals back in their sidekicks days.

After gaining the needed altitude, Jason engages the authopilot, and stands.

He doesn't say anything yet, instead of reaching the blond kid (who, Roy's pretty sure, still has yet to blink) with a watter bottle, a meal, and eyedrops ready.

A minute or so after that, the kid sags in his chair.

" 's done," he murmurs, rubbing his face. "We made it."

Jason nods, and hugs him, telling him that he did good, rest for now, Caden.

After making sure the kid was alright, Jason clicks a few buttons on the control panel, and the huge holographic screen appears.

It's gruesome, what he's showing them. It's Scanctuary, it's all of them - dead. All of them from the Sanctuary, Roy means, with two exception: Poison Ivy and Wally. 

Turns out, they all were supposed to die, and Wally West was the one who killed them.

It's a lot to take in. Not everyone believes it, even after Jason gives each of them a tablet. When he hands Roy his, he still refuses to look at him, even when Roy touches his hand. He just shakes his head and moves on.

"We didn't watch it," Jason explains. "But most of the rest of the world probably did. Will, in a week. I'm sorry but there's nothing we can do about that. It's already happened."

Roy pushes play on the screen with some trepidation. His worst fears come true: it's what he recorded while he was at the Sanctuary. All the things that were supposed to stay private. Secure. For his eyes only.

Wally did that to him. For some reason, it hurts even more than his murder.

Someone asks how come he could have saved them, then, if he can't stop the tapes from being released. The overly talkative baby fields this question. Most of the explanation flies over their heads, even Roy has trouble to keep up, until the baby - Babe-in-Arms, she introduced herslef - rolls her eyes and snaps:

"Wally West staged his own death using his double and time travel. We used time travel and clones to save you."

It's a lot to process. By the time they reach their destination - Qurac, why things just seem to happen in this country? - everyone is quiet. Roy can relate. Because where do you go from here? After you die, after all your dirty laundry literally was aired for everyone to see?

So not even the All Acres faze him anymore. He only thinks, idly, if Jason always had the ability to go back and change things, and if so, why didn't he ever save himself?

After they resurface in the real world, they make a pit stop in the center of the Earth, if you can believe it. That's where one of the Outlaws bases are. That's where poor buggers made to die in their stead were manufactured.

The mess hall is big enough for all of them, but there's apparently not enough quarters, so they bulk together, five people in the same room. Roy thinks it's bullshit, though. It's more like they're all on a collective suicide watch. When he tries to slip away to find Jason, Eddie blocks his path until Roy agrees to take him, too.

They find Jason in the kitchen. His kids are drinking honest to god milk, and there are fresh cookies on the table.

When Roy and Eddie come in, Jason furtively tries to hide oven mitts behind his back but it's too late. Red Hood has kids and is into baking, now. A year changes a person, apparently.

But before Roy can give him hell about it, Clara rats him out.

"You're threaten the fabric of time-space continium for this guy," she says, pointing with her thumb at Roy. "And he's cheating at you! With like three different guys!"

Jason, to Roy's surprise, does not get mad or defensive about how Roy is not his boyfriend, thank you very much. Instead he shrugs and says.

"That's what being a villain is sometimes. You're risking the world for one person. For some people, that person is themselves. For me, well..."

"That's gross," Caden says and mimics retching.

"You're gross," the pink-haired kid says immediately and bumps into the violet person when he tries to dodge a piece of cookie thrown his way.

Soon, the kitchen is a battlefield. 

Eddie and Roy join Jason, who leans on the kitchen island, crossing the hands on the chest.

"Shouldn't you, you know, stop them?" Eddie asks dubiously.

"Nah," Jason says. "It's better to let them get it out of their system while I'm there to supervise. Besides, it's them who's going to clean it all up."

"Holy shit," Roy says, " _ you _ 're the Mom."

The grin that appears on Jason's face is absolutely gleeful.

"They said that? Who?"

Roy points, and Jason cooes, going to them.

"Aww, Dani, Clara," he hugs them. "I knew you cared."

The kids shriek and start to throw food at him. Now, it's six against one, and so Roy and Eddie are honor-bound to come to his aid.

"What's going on."

Everyone freezes.

Artmeis stands in the doorway, her hands on her hips. Fun times are over, it seems. 

It's fairly obvious who's the dad in this situation, and Roy is not jealous at all.

Artemis makes kids go to beds, and magnamously allows Eddie to return to his quarters. Jason is on the hook for clean up now, and Roy stays behind to help. He thinks Artemis will be arguing with it but she only promises to escort Eddie, and threatens:

"Keep it quiet, you two."

It's not exactly a problem. As soon as they are alone, Jason clams up. He doesn't seem to want to even belreath the same air as Roy because as soon as Roy gets too close he holds his breath.

Roy's patience runs out. He throws the mop on the floor.

"I know it was pretty stupid death," he says. "Not heroic enough, not like yours was..."

Jason reels back and finally looks up at him. At a spllit of the second, Roy thinks that his words hurt Jason somehow, because what else his kicked puppy eyes are about? But then Jason squizes his fists, and that's familiar, angry Jason.

"You think that's what it is about?"

And maybe it isn't. Roy gulps his anxiety down. Jason said he hasn't watched anyone's tapes, then it means he didn't. He doesn't know that some of them, Roy talked about him too. And no one obviously set a foot into his room, so it can't be about that either.

"So what it is about?" he asks.

Jason clenches his jaw but doesn't say anything, just looks away.

"Hey," Roy says. "Can you  _ not  _ behave yourself like I'm  _ still dead _ ? I'm standing right here, dammit!"

"I already explained," Jason says shortly, like Roy is pulling every word with his teeth from him.

Roy thinks back, trying to find anything in what Jason said today that could have resembled an explanation, and can't.

"Forget it," Jason says, trying to leave.

Roy stops him with the hand on his chest.

"You're not leaving me here to clean this mess up by myself," he says. "Not when you promised the kids are going to do that."

Kids. What Jason said to them? To Clara, about being a villain?

"So, you're going to explain to me why are you suddenly teaches kids to take over the world?"

"I'm not," Jason says petulantly. "Most of them are teenagers, and Babe is ahead in her mental development enough that she might be as well. And what teenagers do with shitty authority figures in their lives?"

"Ignore everything they are taught to do?"

"Ignore everything they are told, while mimicking that they are shown."

"So that's why the rescue mission," Roy says slowly. "Even if you seems to hate me now. You're showing them how to be heroes while ordering them to be villains. Reverse psychology."

"Yeah."

"That's it. Just a teachable moment for kids."

"Yeah."

"You know," Roy says. "It's too bad you changed your suit. Your helmet suited you better. It hid your whole face."

"Thanks," Jason huffs.

Roy put his foot in his mouth, again, ugh. He tries to explain.

"Because you're a shitty liar, you know. And it helps that no one you're fighting against sees your face. Not because you're ugly. You're not. You're actually pretty."

"Gee," Jason deadpans. "Thanks. Do you want to go steady too?"

"Yeah," Roy says. "I do."

"Great, because... What?" Jason looks at him like he's not sure he heard right.

Roy shrugs.

"Yeah, I do, what can I say? You risked the Universe for me."

"I did  _ not _ ."

Roy parrots.

" _ That's what being a villain  _ is _ sometimes, risking a world for  _ one person _. _ "

"You weren't the only one we saved today, so knock your ego off, Haprer. Maybe I were talked about Bloomberg. And anyway, we weren't  _ risking  _ anything. Babe made calculation, I had Shae to look it over... It was perfectly safe."

"Uh-huh. You're  _ really  _ shitty liar. And a bad kisser."

"I am  _ not _ !"

Jason yanks Roy to him immediately, to prove him wrong, just like Roy thought he would.

Unfortunately, Roy is right. Jason is enthusiastic but... that's all what he has going for him. Still, it's  _ perfect. S _ omehow.

"Don't tell me it's like kissing your brother," Jason murmurs when Roy pulls apart.

His face is flushed red. He does not meet Roy's eyes again.

"I don't have any brothers," Roy reminds him gently. "Wait, did someone tell it to you? Who?"

"Artemis."

Yeah, Roy is not jealous at all. 

They just have to have a talk, boundaries and all. For now, he just kisses Jason again. 

**Author's Note:**

> [Send ](https://redjaybathood.tumblr.com/) me a prompt/headcanon/idea/question about when the fuck I am going to finish any of the dozen WIPs I currently have.  
> Comments are extremely welcome too!


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